Cotopaxi Volcano

Exploring the area around CotopaxiAt around 7:00am, ok closer to 8:00, but who's keeping score (I call this ''south american'' time), our guide Marco picked us to up drive us about 30 miles south to Ecuador's second highest peak - Cotopaxi volcano. It's about 5,900 meters high, and you can climb to the top with proper glacier climbing gear (ice axe, crampons, etc.). We weren't that committed, so we just did a short (but still tough at that altitude!) hike up from the parking lot up to the refuge, which is at about 4,900 meters. From there, it was back down to the van where we got out some mountain bikes and rode all the way to the bottom for a much-needed lunch! Marco then dropped us off at the Hacienda he also manages where we had an awesome dinner cooked by his sister and wife!